From fancy to chilled out: There’s a Sydney restaurant for every mood

For fine dining that’s out of this world, try…

What happens when two award-winning chefs team up to create a “progressive dining experience” in a venue blessed with a history of fine dining success?

Heaven knows but it would be a sin not to taste the result. You can do that at ELE, a new collaboration from impressive duo Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla.

There’s an air of mystery about their shared project but that only adds to the fun. According to the website, don’t expect passive dining as “you’ll move and be moved.”

The food at ELE (short for “elements”) draws inspiration from the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. You’ll notice these expressed in many different ways – from ingredients to cooking techniques.

Bottom line: expect an ambitious, sensory experience like no other.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Degustation experience ($230pp)

Book it here

For an interesting breakfast to cure your hangover, try…

Had a few too many last night?

Everyday from 7:00am, there’s a three-hour Japanese breakfast banquet at Sokyo, a dimly lit locale at The Star.

If you can get out of bed in time (or perhaps you never left the casino), it’s worth nabbing a table.

Gorge on an assortment of fruits, salted edamame and melt-in-your-mouth pastries to begin. Then settle in for a feast of all sorts of Japanese-Australian fusion delights: spanner crab onigiri, piping hot tempura hash browns and udon noodle soup with seafood straight from the fish market. There’s also a Japanese-style smashed avo toast with smoked salmon and furikake.

If you sleep in too late, never fear. The award-winning kitchen at Sokyo is open all day long, with robata-grilled meats, fresh nigiri rolls, and even a “serve me anything” omakase experience if you’re in the mood to book something fancier.

Point is, everything’s top notch.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Breakfast menu ($48pp)

For a case of wanderlust, try…

After years of lockdowns, many of us are hankering for a proper holiday. Can’t get the annual leave yet? A meal at Lankan Filling Station may just be the next best thing.

The restaurant’s minimalist aesthetic is misleading – here you’ll find the most flavourful Sri Lankan fare in Sydney.

It makes sense – the owner O Tama Carey’s Sri Lankan roots exposed her from an early age to the complex taste profiles of dal, traditional fish curry, tangy sambols and hoppers (bowl-shaped crepes made out of fermented rice flour.) Here’s a kitchen that knows what it’s doing.

But where’s the modern twist? You’ll find it in the sharp bevvy menu. Expect Aussie-brewed meads, pet nats, wine from a tap, and hybrid coffee slushies.

Our suggestion: wait until the weekend. Each Sunday, Lankan Filling Station serves an enormous crab curry banquet feast to celebrate Sri Lanka’s favourite crustacean dish. It’s insanely delicious.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Hot butter cuttlefish ($20)

For a cheap and cheerful dinner, try…

“I feel like chicken tonight”, said everyone at least once in their lives. If that’s you, consider El Jannah for your next chicken fix.

There’s just something about your neighbourhood charcoal chicken shop that never gets old, but El Jannah’s Lebanese take on the Aussie joint is legendary. Better yet, there’s plenty of options on the menu under a tenner.

Packed out almost every night, the restaurant roasts your standard quarter chicken and chips for traditionalists. Have at it if you please, though you’d be crazy not to go for the more interesting options on the menu here.

Choose from tawouk platters with skewers and oven-fresh Lebanese bread, juicy and tender shawarma with green pickles and smoky babaghanouj, or falafels so fluffy you could use them as pillows. Feel free to drench it all in El Jannah’s famously addictive garlic sauce.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Tawouk roll ($12.90)

For a long and lazy pub lunch with friends, try…

If the pub’s calling your name but you’re after something a bit more special than your average parma, grab a spot at The Oaks Hotel.

The classy yet casual bar and grill has been serving pub grub a cut above the rest since its opening date. From haloumi burgers with smashed avo and chilli jam to gourmet pizzas and juicy scotch fillets smothered in Cafe de Paris butter.

An in-house butcher and temperature-controlled wine cellar provide encouraging signs of quality assurance, and with plenty of large tables and a sports bar – there’s room enough for your entire crew.

At sundown, head out to the courtyard to take in the night air. The 70-year-old oak tree adorned with fairy lights is an atmospheric backdrop.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Seafood chowder in sourdough cob with a garlic bread lid ($21)

For late night bites and cocktails, try…

We all remember stunning Apollonia from the second instalment of The Godfather trilogy. She stole Michael Corleone’s heart and then *spoiler alert* unwittingly broke it upon meeting her untimely demise.

Well, there’s a subterranean cocktail bar in Sydney that’s been named after her – and the cinematic vibes here are just as unforgettable.

Self-described as both an homage to “old-world romantic escapism” and a “Sicilian bandits’ drinking den”, kick on here at the end of the night with A-grade negronis and modern Italian fare.

Have as little or as much as you fancy – it’s open until 3am. You can graze away on charcuterie plates, house milled bread and olive oil, arancini and Sydney rock oysters, tuck into a pizza panino, or simply fill up on cocktails (they’re that good.)

Either way, you’ll be lovestruck.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Stracciatella pizza panino with truffle honey, black garlic and broccolini pesto ($12)

For a romantic date by the beach, try…

There are three dedicated dining spaces housed in Bathers’ Pavilion: Bathers’ fine dining restaurant, the more casual Bathers’ bistro, and something entirely different altogether upstairs: Betel Leaf.

While each is lovely in its own right, the pop-up Betel Leaf (run by world-renowned chef Ty Bellingham) is a particularly special place to enjoy your next romantic lunch date.

All your favourite Thai classics are flawlessly executed here: Massaman curries, pad Thai, crispy noodle salads and juicy ribs and stir-fries. But it’s the atmosphere you’re really paying for.

If you can, try and get a booking on the outdoor terrace and enjoy the sea breeze. Inspired by the splendid Mediterranean hotel resorts in Europe, it offers the most breath taking vistas over the azure and white hues of Balmoral Beach.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Slow cooked Tasmanian beef rib with herbs, chilli and lime ($30)